Can-opener



(No Model.)

A. W. LYMAN.

GAN OPENER.

No. 254,488. Patented Mar. 7.188 2.

1880, No.224,022, as a combinedtool. In that 2 5 jacent parts, upon the samelongitudinal plane,

projects beyond the end of the riding'plate,

UNI-TED V STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR W. LYMAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,488, dated March '7, 1882'. Application filed December 15, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. LYMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in (Jan-Openers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a device for opening cans of edibles, paints, or the like in a convenient, neat, and easymanner; and the novelty consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

Theinvention is designed as an improvement upon the device patented to me February 3,

device a screw-driver projects beyond the adand as a can-opener I find that the projecting portion interferes with-the efficient and ready operation of the implement.

In carrying out my invention I take such suitable pieces of scrap-steel as will serve the purpose, and by proper cutting-dies by one action form the blank, a second action of other proper dies forming aright-angled plate upon an approximate longitudinal plane with the body or handle, and upon said plate an arm at right angles thereto. dies form the handle, body, riding-plate, and gage-arm of the implement, and are accomplished almost instantly. By then submitting the device to the action of arevolving file or saw having a beveled surface I form a kerf between the riding-plate and the body at such an incline as to form a cutting-edge, which terminates with a sharp puncturing-point. The blank is so formed that the point of the knife and in operation they serve together to efl'ect a useful purpose.

In articles of this character the utilization These two actions gf/ .of waste or scrap material, cheapness and case of manufacture, and durability and convenience of the implement when made are great desiderata.

My device, formed by one piece of scrapsteel, must necessarily possess the qualities of durability and cheapness, and it presents no loose parts to get out of order or lost.

The implement comprises a device formed of a single piece of steel pressed and formed into a cutter, a riding-fulcrum, a gage to control the out to correspond with the outer edge of the package, and a convenient handle, together with a puncturer, and a gage to control the depth of the puncture.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 5 are perspective views; Fig. 3, a view illustrative of the operation of the device, and Figs. 2 and 4 details.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the handle and body, which terminates at one end with a puncturer, B.

O represents the riding-plate, the portion 0 of which serves as a stop to the puncturer and as a fulcrum to the cutting-edge D. The plate 0 is at transverse right angles with the plane of the handle and the cutting-edge D under one of its edges.

E represents the gage-arm.

The device may be formed in the same manner of smaller pieces of scrap, except that a tang, a, will be made to operate in a proper' handle, as shown in Fig. 5.

To illustrate the operation of the invention I will describe it as manipulated to open 2. cylindrical can for convenience and brevity; but it is equally serviceable elsewhere. The gage being made to register with the edge of the canythe punctu'ring-point'B is forced into the can'until the stop 0 rests upon the edge when thehandle is depressed'and the tool forced forward until the edge of the metal rides upon the cutting-edge D. Then, by alternately raisin g and lowering the handle and forcing the tool forward, the central top portion is neatly and regularly out, and it is no small advantage that the severed portion is above the lip left upon the can, and that it is not necessary to pry it out after being severed. The can thus severed may be used for other purposes.

It will be observed that my construction avoids all risk of injury to'the operator by the point becoming disengaged from the kert' and during the forward pushing movement of cutting or piercing his hand, and also ofthe inconvenience of frequently having to stop the operation and replace the point in the kerf, by the point being always within the can and not susceptible of disengagement, even if the tool is carried considerably beyond a vertical position.

It will also be observed that this construction by thus holding the pointin constant and certain position for operation allows a maximum of speed, with safety and convenience in the operation of opening a can.

It Will also be observed that I do away with theprojecting screwriver shown in my prior patent mentioned, which seriously affected the manipulation of the opener and prevented the cutting of a perfectly round hole.

What I claim as new is The can opener described consisting of the handle and body A, the puncturer B, cutter D, riding-plate 0, having stop and fulcrum portion 0, and the gage E, all formed of one piece of. steel, and adapted to serve as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR W. LYMAN.

Vitnesses JOSEPH R. EDsoN, Jos. FORREST. 

